(2022) VA – Silberland: Kosmische Musik, Vol. 1 [1972-1986]

Review:
Hamburg-based label Bureau B has put an astonishing amount of work and care into providing proper representation for a wealth of obscure sounds from the strangest corners of the Krautrock map. Though not solely a reissue label (they’ve also released work from more modernized artists following in the footsteps of pioneering German electronic experimenters), a strong percentage of the label’s catalog consists of deluxe vinyl editions of recordings that have been long out of print or in some cases never made it to vinyl (or wide-scale public release) in the first place. A completist mindset means the label goes far deeper than the best-known acts of the genre, digging into side projects of side projects and uncovering some of the stranger and more experimental electronic sounds being made throughout the 1970s and ’80s and beyond. Siberland: Kosmische Musik, Vol. 1 [1972-1986] is a perfect example of the label’s all-encompassing approach, gathering together 20 tracks of early synthesizer experimentation, genre-twisting electronics, and cosmic funk from artists that largely existed a few layers deeper underground than peers like Kraftwerk or Neu! Several great inclusions come from better-known names like Cluster and Faust. The lucid wobble of closing track “Base & Apex” will be instantly recognizable to some as part of the tense and cinematic atmosphere crafted on After the Heat, an album made in 1978 by Brian Eno and Cluster members Roedelius and Moebius. Also included are the icy groove of “Emphasis,” from drummer/experimenter Harald Grosskopf’s 1980 masterpiece Synthesist, and an edited presentation of the zany shuffling of Roedelius’ “Regenmacher,” from his 1978 solo album Durch die Wüste. Some of the most exciting tracks on Siberland come from even lesser-known artists. “Quitting Time” by Bernd Kistenmacher, from his 1980 album Head-Visions, is a syncopated futuristic dreamscape heavily influenced by the economic meandering of Klaus Schulze. Tyndall’s 1982 track “Großstadtgefühl” predicts the synth pop wave that followed shortly after, with sharp, snappy drum machine rhythms driving overlapping synth melodies. Many tracks are edited significantly from their original run times, but this whittling down makes space for more music and might be easier on the attention spans of those just getting acquainted with more obscure Krautrock sounds. Ultimately, the compilation is perfect for just that — offering a fantastic primer for anyone interested in going a little bit deeper down the Krautrock and early synthesizer music rabbit hole. — allmusic

Track List:
1. Die Partei – Strahlsund (03:41)
2. Rolf Trostel – Two Faces (Bureau B edit) (04:22)
3. Michael Bundt – Full Steam Ahead (Bureau B edit) (03:47)
4. Moebius – Etwas (Bureau B edit) (02:55)
5. Populare Mechanik – Scharfer Schnitt No. 1 (02:35)
6. Roedelius – Regenmacher (Bureau B edit) (04:04)
7. Tyndall – Grossstadtgefuhl (03:30)
8. Conrad Schnitzler – Bis Die Blaue Blume Bluht (Bureau B edit) (04:03)
9. Phantom Band – Pulsar (03:59)
10. Bernd Kistenmacher – Quitting Time (Bureau B edit) (04:55)
11. Heiko Maile – Nachtspaziergang (Tape 40) (03:41)
12. Moebius & Plank – News (04:50)
13. Faust – Vorsatz (02:36)
14. Riechmann – Weltweit (Bureau B edit) (04:46)
15. Asmus Tietchens – Trummerkopfe (02:03)
16. Cluster – Avanti (Bureau B edit) (04:21)
17. Guenter Schickert – Wanderer (Bureau B edit) (04:27)
18. YOU – Live Line (Bureau B edit) (04:36)
19. Harald Grosskopf – Emphasis (04:56)
20. Brian Eno, Moebius & Roedelius – Base & Apex (04:30)


Media Report:
Genre: ambient, electronic, experimental
Country: Various
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)


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